Alessandro Mendini Overview

We say that the French have a certain "joie de vivre," but Italians have something else more difficult to label. Italian culture couples a love of beauty with an ability to laugh at itself. The designs of Milan-born architect Alessandro Mendini... [more]

We say that the French have a certain "joie de vivre," but Italians have something else more difficult to label. Italian culture couples a love of beauty with an ability to laugh at itself. The designs of Milan-born architect Alessandro Mendini embrace this attitude with their color and humor -- though beneath the fun, they actually address a serious design consciousness. After undertaking formal studies at Politecnico de Milano, Mendini gained a broad knowledge of contemporary design by editing at magazines like Casabella, Modo, and Domus. His works are often critiques of design in general: utilizing well-known designs of others, he makes jovial "re-creations" using new materials and embellishments. To make sure his good-natured pokes gets across, Mendini almost always gives his "re-creations" an overly decorative treatment. Among others, Mendini has redesigned the "Wassily" originally by Marcel Breuer, "Superleggera" by Gio Ponti, and the "Universale" by Joe Colombo '-- all famous chairs in their own right. In defense of such hubris, he has stated that "true innovation is not possible in respect of what has gone before." His whimsical, bright, topical treatments speak more to cartoons than to fine craftsmanship, as they attempt to strip away all pretensions of Modernism. His "anti-design" theories marked the birth of symbolic language in design, and he considers each piece of furniture an architectural work in itself. Similarities to the Italian design group, Memphis, are readily apparent. In fact, Mendini often collaborates with other design groups, including Studio Alchymia. Mendini's Neo-Modern philosophies gained fame in the 1980s, and no doubt led to his appointment as art director for Swatch Labs. He th artists-turned-superstars like Basquiat and Schnabel, Doonan cultivated refined designs that reflected the neighborhood's cool attitude. Artists and fashionistas alike began to notice Doonan's role in ushering in a new phase of the cutting-edge shopping experience. It wasn't until his grotesque celebrity caricatures hit Barneys' windows, however, t [show less]